Motor-driven machine for harvesting sugar cane



Jan. '27, 1931. I J. .1. M." ELIAS MOTOR DRIVEN MACHINE FOR HARVESTING SUGAR CANE FilechJuly 12. 1928- i5 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. J. M. ELIAS 1,790,204

MOTOR DRIVEN MACHINE FOR HARVESTING SUGAR CANE Jan. 27, 1931.

Filed-July 12. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jam, 27,' 1931. J. J. M. ELIAS MOTOR DRIVEN MACHINE FOR HARVESTING SUGAR CANE Filed July 12, 1928 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q. which hoe or dig the canes o-utiof the bottom, ably.

I UNITED s 'rres r; an ry OFFICE r '7 Joan JACOB mmami w WnssnNAAa, mean TQELHAGFTE unrn nnnanns I Q I i l MOTOR-DRIVEN MACll-IINE FOR nanirnsriuo suaitcmn d v Applic tion filed luly 1 2, mas-maludlaeatse, nd in ass s nate 18,; its l" The invention relates to a motor-driven progress backwards and meeti'at adefinite machine for harvesting sugar-cane and other height a rotary orlined c utting instrument 2, plants growing in a similar Way. from which cutting-instrument a the Walls 'The'oh'ect is a machine which can easily be gradually progress further "upwards.

5 mounted to an existing motor-tractor and The cuttingdnstrument projectsso farfrom so then be moved through caneplantations for the edge of "the -guidlug-wall, that stems harvesting the sugar-cane, either the stems lifted up from; the "earth already, whilst only or the stemstogetherwith the rootsg'and gliding upwards along the edges, are ,cutofi' which if desired may be provided with a de-V at a definite height by 'the above mentioned vice which atthe .same time polls the butts eutting-instrument.-

' of the cane; Between the aforesaid. guiding-wallszl,a

Several parts of the machine are illustrated harvesting-member ismounted; i i 3 in the accompanying diagrams, in which dit This consists oftwo symmetric parts 3 and ferent constructions are given as examples. 4 (F 1g. 2), which are formed by vertically 15 In the diagrams: slightly bent, more or less triangulated coul- 60 Fig. 1 represents a front-View of the ma terknives and whiohare' 'provided at the in chine, showing the way inwhi'ch its ironner-side, of sloping guidingplates 5 to guide beains are mounted on' the axles of a tractor; the earth lumps thathav e got to be hoed out.

Figs. 2 and 3show'two forms of apparatus, These guiding-plates are mounted detachthe former (F -2)for Java and other coun- Furthermore this member possesses a sotries where the plants are extracted from .the called hoeing-rod 6 (Fig. l), fixed to a horiground including the roots etc., the latter zontal bar 7 which in itsturn' is fixed to the (Fig. 3) for Cuba or other countries, Where above-named vertical c'oul ter-knives by V 25 the sugar-canes are cut-oil horizontally just means of screw-bolts, in such a way, that it is 7 f -.under the surface of the ground in order to situated behind the sloping guiding-plates n 'grOW h and exerts-no resistance or.pressure on the .Fig. 4 showsa guiding 0r cane lifting QTOUHCL l b in @mbination with the harvesting The coulters, by means ofscrew b'olts are connected to a member 8, that'again is lfixed n 5 the way in which both't heouitlinm 7 t 1 t 9- wallls or cane-li ters are mounted froiit TAC'COrdmgtO the lnventlon aVSecOndba-r 011! of the Car-tinge; A a s spindle 10, parallel to but arranged a little Fig. 6 the way in which the cane-lumps i h i en r e m fi m V will run over the hoeing-apparatus and guide F 1. earmgs i' Vmmca' Hives discs: b r behind the first'bar.

'7 a topwiew of the machine; I Between these two spindles, so much room Fig.v 8 a butt-poll-ladder with fingers and d that {kn-umber of dlscs. 11 fi on the canelifter withthe'vertical saw; thls P n u i n Q pl 1 85 Fi 9 00X; j th t f th l dd r i The ntention of these d1scs,be1ng to-crumwhich two sets of horizontal saws are placed. ble away'the solid earth lumps which have The machine possesses two guiding-walls 1, been hoed out of the ground by the harvestwhich, 'at the front side end in a peak, and ing-member. V V I g i 45 having sl'antin'g' upper edges which gradually f 1 The guiding-walls 1 or the so-called cane- 0 30 hoeing-apparatus, mounted on the frame of the carriage;

lifters, consists of one straight plate, placed lies ind-a mess flat on the ground and gen-' erally is grown to same.

It is "easily understood, that this plate, of

say thickness, when sliding in its work mg position over-the harvestingefield, easily will be able to shuffle with its sharp point under the stems and also to liftthe fallen V cane-stems and same Which inay be grown to the ground. V

Furthcriiaccording to the invention, the hoeing-apparatus, which serves to extract the plant with its roots etc; from the-earth, may be substituted by quite a diflerent cutting apparatus, consisting of twoflat horizontal half-moon-form knives 12 and 13, Fig. 3, of which the sharp edges v or cuttingedges 7 progress arcWise fromthe outside to the inside and by which the plants will be cut horizontally and flat just underneath the surface of the ground. This will particularly be of importance in those countries, where, in order to obtain a second or further growth from the roots, same are'le tt in the ground.

Each ofthese harvesting nie nbers maybe ,adjustedyertically by meansvof hand-wheels and are mounted right in irontof the engine,

" In agreements with the plants,

i. e. frontofthe radiator ofthe engine, in a frame of iron-girders 14,,15, which are fixed to the front and back-axles of ,the engine-car, right between the body of the engine and the caterpillars, The apparatus easily be arranged in such a way, that it may be fixed to each tractor, so that one, with relative small costs,

can build aharvestingniachine, which will serve its purpose. 1 f

Since the tractors usually have an axlehcight of approximately ,cm., it will'be necessary o increase same to about 4L0 cm. or more, so that the bottorn-clearance will be enlarged, and sufficient/room is formed to let all the hoed-out cane-stems, earth-lumps, dry leaves and other vegetation, pass und r the Waggon and between the caterpillars.

' Between the cane-lifters,according to the invention, a sloping-poll-ladder (Figs. 7, 8, 9) may be mounted in front Illa at some distance of-tlie hoeing-n'iember and between the can-litters. v f

Thedeet of this ladder 16 ia-re fixod 'swingingly to the frame of ironsbeams 15, at the top of the .ladde r a swinging box-like ijgan 51:7 -l Slll()ll]1tQ(d,-tl1fl COVQl QT same consists of a horizontal platecutoutinsuch a way, that long lingers foi'i ned, ivhich are .provided at theinner edgesof a continuous upht knife 19. l i

te m y hare-lgnger or shorter stems, tlII SlZLCldQI mELY be adjusted higherorlower, whilst the finproximately horizontal alsofcan be moved in itshinges, in order to adjust same.

The intention of this poll la dder is to bend the upright canes gradually forwards and,

I by means of two sets of horizontal top-saws 20, tocut-otlthe tops of the canes.

This can be done, because the cane-stems are guided by these fingers, one after the other, until the tops of the canes come into contact with the saws and are cut-off by same.

These cut-o fl tops, which are used as sprouts, find their Way backwards through thee-pen side at the back of the box and fall .On :the. ground underneath thecarrrage;

This being done, the hoeing-apparatus eX- tractsthe-root-luinp fron'rtl-ie bottom and the canes to fall onthe ground underneath the carriage. The swinging-hoslT isfixed at the topof the ladder, and is open at the front and at the back and cover and bottom consists of sn allerbo'xes 21, 22,751 which the horizontal saws: are mounted, which are driven from pulley oi the engine by means of a chain, which runs along the outside of one of ;thc. l e gs of ,the ladder. may be noted, that a pulley is generally presentat ca ch tractor in orderto drive machines;

(lover-plates for the wheels or caterpillars may be built rigidly against the cane-lifters or .thev mayi be :fixedto vvthe frame of the caterpillars" in which case they ,iyill be .free

from the canelifters. The coyer-plates can by means of a handle be moved up or down from the drivers seat. dlVha-t Iclaim is: A p 1. A. motor-driven iachine for harvesting i sugar cane and the like plants, having-cutt ng nstruments and also havlng twoggu ding walls, the front edges of which are nclined' upwardly and rearwardly, said cutting mstriunentsbe ng arranged at. a point interinedlate the lower and upper sides of said walls and projectingforwardly of said lnchned edges, so that sa d edges serve to guide stalks to said c uttinglinstruinentsland a harvesting member between said .Walls'and arranged thereabove, said member haying c forwardly extending Vfi n'gei's spaced apart and cutting devices at the rear ends of the spaces between saidifingers. 7

2. Sugar-cane-harvesting-machine according to claim 1, including a second set of cutting. instruments acting in a similar way, which are mounted at the same (,llStHlM-G 'l'rom each other and arranged mulerneathand ata definite distance :ninthe upper of cut ting instruments.

3. Sugar cane harvesting machine accorcl ing to claim 1,includin'g-.a second set o't cutting instruments acting in a siniilarqvay which'are mounted at the same distance from each other arranged underneath and at a definite distance from the upper set of cutat the front side end in apeak, said walls having upper cutting edges, a cuttinginstrument, fixed at a definite height and to which said cutting edges extend and from -,which cutting instrument the said edges also gradually'progress upwardly and rearwardly, the cutting instruments'projecting so far from the said edges that the stems lifted by the guiding walls are cut off, and having between. these guiding walls a harvesting member, provided with upstanding arm-like members, carrying a number of vertically adjustable horizontal fingers, and which are mounted over, and project in front of the harvesting wedge each other with their inner points, progress arc-wise in forward and outward "directioir' 10. Sugar cane -harvest1ng -.mach1ne 7 acmachine.

In testimony name to this specification. I I Y JOAN JACOB MARIELIASF organ, while at the end of the slots between r the fingers, partly covering these slots, horizontal disc-saws or other cutting instruments acting in a similar way are mounted.

5. A motor driven sugar cane harvesting machine as claimed in claim 1, including means enabling the horizontal'fingers to be horizontally adjusted.

6. Sugar-cane-harvesting-machine according to claim 1, wherein the harvesting member consist of a hoeing-iron, having a number of vertical revolving discs, which are mounted behind the hoeing-iron, but a. little higher and at such a distance from each other, that the cane-lumps, which glide upwards along the hoeing-iron arm, are crushed.

7. Sugar cane harvesting machine according to claim 1, wherein the harvesting member consists of a hoeing iron having a number of vertically revolving discs which are mounted behind the hoeing iron, somewhat higher and at such distance from each other as to cause thecane lumps which glide upward along the hoeing iron arms to be crushedand also including coulter knives at each side of the hoeing iron each consisting of vertical vplates large at the back but which finish at the front in a peak and which are slightly bent and at the inner side provided with triangularly shaped guiding plates, the sharper points of which are directed forwardly, and which, with one side, adjoin the coulter knives and with the broad side partly overlap the hoeing iron and are bent to suit the coulter knives.

8. Sugar-cane-harvesting-machine accord- 7' ing to claim 1, characterized in that the guiding-walls consist of rigid singularfvertical plates, which are adjustable in a vertical direction.

9. Sugar-cane-harvesting-machine according to claim 1, characterized by a harvesting-member consisting of two horizontal knives, placed side by side and adjustable in a vertical direction of which the cuttingor inner-edges, which approximately touch whereof, V I have signed my 

